Station-box for watchmen and fire-alarm signaling.



P. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATGHME-N AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1911.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914- 4 BHEETS-SHEET l.

I WE JTU WIN-P1125555 P. WILLIAMS. STATION BOX FOR WATOHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING. APPLIOATION'FILED OUT. 12, 1911. 1 1 1 9,738 Patented Dec. 1,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

P. WILLIAMS. STATION BOX FOR WATGHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

APPLICATION BIL 1 1 1 9,738.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914. 1 4 SHEETS-SHEETS.

Ql\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I W F. WILLIAMS.

STATION BOX FOR WATOHMEN AND FIRE ALARM SIGNALING.

APPLIGATIQN FILED OUT. 12, 1911.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

c0. PHDTULITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WILLIAMS, OE SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ACME REGISTER COMPANY, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, .A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STATION-BOX FOR WATCI-IMEN AND FIRE-ALARM SIGNALING.

Application filed October 12, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, FREDERICK lVrLLiAMs, ofSomerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of hlassachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Station-Boxes for Watchmen and Fire-Alarm Signaling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus in which the recording boxes or stations are located in various parts of a building or other place to be protected, the apparatus in the first station being electrically controlled from the central station and each other station being electrically controlled from the one to be visited just previous to it; for my system contemplates a predetermined tour of duty on the part of the watchman and a verification of his faithfulness by a record dependent not only upon an act on the part of the watchman at certain specific times, but from certain specific stations. Each station is connected inrotation with the central station whereby a proper record is there made and each station includes a fire alarm electrically connected with the central station and operated in case of necessity.

My invention consists in certain details now to be described whereby these various operations may be carried out and will be understood from the drawings in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus connected according to my system, three local stations being shown together with the central station. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the station boxes. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation, the cover being removed. Fig. 4 is a plan, the cover being shown in section taken on line 11 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sectional end eleva tion, the end of the cover being removed. Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing the push rod, and Fig. 7 is a view somewhat diagrammatic in character showing mechanism at the central station.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, A is the central station. Connected with the central station are three local stations, 23, 33, and 43. These stations are identical in construction with the exception of the details of the automatic circuit breaker of the fire alarm circuit which will be described be- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Serial No. 654,304.

low. B is the battery. C is a clock. From the central station proceed three lines formlng part of two circuits, each of which includes the battery B, that is, there is what may be termed the main line D which passes from the circuit breaker d to the battery B and thence as D to the point al where it divides, the portion E going to the last station a3, and the portion F forming part of the lire alarm circuit. E is the connection between the first recording station and the clock mechanism, and F the return of the lire circuit.

1 will first describe one of the station boxes 23, 33, and 43. All these station boxes are alike except that as each one is expected to give its individual fire alarm signal each is provided with an individual circuit breaker wheel having a series of teeth f arranged in some predetermined way to ring a signal at the central station.

The box shown in Fig. 3, for example, has teeth arranged in two groups of three each so that as the wheel 7 rotates two separate sets of three strokes each, making the number 33, will be rung at the central station. The ringing is caused by the breaking of a circuit passing through the alarm bell F and including at each station a circuit breaker forming a contact with the arm 7. These parts are normally in contact, but the contact is broken by the engagement with it of one of the teeth f on the moving wheel in a way well known. The circuit as laid out from the battery B consists in the wire I), the wire F to the arm f in box 43, thence through the circuit breaker f and wire F to the arm in the next box, and so on to the alarm bell F at the central station. This bell is of ordinary construction adapted to strike one blow for each time the circuit is broken.

A description of the mechanism for op erating the circuit breaker wheel 7 need not be given as it comprises merely an ordinary train of gears f operated by a spring 7' wound by the arbor f and an escapement, and restrained from movement under orc inary conditions by apin 7 which passes through an opening in the escapement wheel 7' and engages with a portion of the frame 7. When removed the spring f opcrates the train of gears and the wheel f which causes the breaking of the circuit and the strikingof the bell alarm in the usual way.

which is also mounted the recording mechanism which will now be described.

Starting with station 23, e is a screw connection for the incoming wire E which is connected with the circuit breaker e circuit breaker normally lies against the contact point e which is connected at the point c? with the outgoing wire E of the movement and carries a tingere which runs in a slot 6 in the frame to serve as a stop, engaging the end of the slot for this purpose. The push rod J is mounted to slide in the frame j carried on the base and the bearing j and is surrounded by a spring j 1 one end of which engageswith a portion of said frame, the other end being engaged by a pin 7' on the push rod so as to maintain the push rod in such a position as to allow the o'cuit breaker to remain normally closed.

- The end of the push rod is provided with insulating material and adapted to engage with the circuit breaker e and break the circuit when pushed. The push rod is normally locked to prevent it from being operated and as shown it is released by means of the armature it operated by the electromagnet H. This electromagn'et is in a shunt circuit E which is temporarily operated in the manner below described. The armature k is pivoted at k and is slotted as shown ath a catch 7L passing down through said slot and adapted to engage under the edge of said slot and hold up the armature from 7 contact with the push rod J when the unlocking of the push rod is desired. The

catch it is held in position to ride under the armature when the armature is in its highest position by means of a spring if. The push rod. J is also provided with a collar j which normally engages the end of the armature It so that when the armature is in its lowest position as indicated in Fig. 3 the push rod cannot be moved. When, however, the armature has been'more certainly attracted by the electromagnet H it is caught in this upward position by the catch k as described and is there held so that the push rod may be moved to open the circuit breaker (see Fig. 3). This act of mov-,

ing the push rod forward, however, also releases the catch it? from its engagement w th the armature as a portion of the collar 7 The mechanism for operating the fire alarm wheel is located upon a base K upon This strikes the catch so that the armature is in position to fall again upon the return of the push rod and relock the push rod. I have indicated the operation of the armature as being controlled by gravity on the one hand and by the magnet on the other, but it is apparent that if the apparatus be laid horizontally the position of the armature may 7 be controlled by a spring instead of gravity.

The frame j in which the push rod J is mounted is in fact a portion of the base of the box or station which is curved upwardv as indicated in Fig. 4 to allow the formation of a recess and give room for the. pushing of the push rod. a cover K having an opening Z: against and closing which a sheet of mica I0 is heldby an annular clamp ic which' can easily be i broken to pull the pin 7. All these stations are alike so far as the'recording mechanism is concerned so that this description will answer for the description of all the boxes.

I provide the base K with I'will now describe the operation of my system boxes.

Normally the circuit E, E ,'E etc, is completed through the series of circuit breakers, one at each station, that is, the

including the above described signal wire E runs to the circuit breaker 6 and the circuit is completed through the contact point 6 connected normally at the point c with the wire E and the next station, etc. The circuit breaker (Z of the watchmans clock at the central station A is operated by means of the rotating dial G forming part of the clock, from which dial project arms g, each in turn adapted to engage and lift the circuit breaker (Z of the central station and cause it to make electrical contact with the arm (Z and throw it intocircuit through the shunt wire E. This wire E forms what may be termed a local shunt connected with the electro magnet H in station-23,

which electromagnet is also connected with the point 6 This closing of the circuit through (Z, (Z throws into circuit the shunt E and electromagnet'H in place of the 'wire E and circuitbreaker c This change of circuit throws the battery of the electro-.

magnet H and energizes the electromagnet H thereby lifting its armature hand unlock} ing the push rod J at this stationjf The current passing from the electromagnet H to the point 6 passes thence by the main circuit back to the clock at the central station. I The push rod J isthen in condition to be 7 operated' The watchman pushes'itto the left at the proper time, this action not only causing its engagement with the circuit breaker 6 but also causing the recording apparatus at the central station to make a puncture in the dial sheet by means ofa' puncturing apparatus. The movement of the push rod 'againstthe circuit breaker e causes it in turn to break its electrical connection with the contact point e and make contact with the arm 6* which functionally corresponds with the arm (1 of the clock, throwing into circuit for the instant the local shunt E of box 33 which is connected with its electromagnet H, thus causing the energizing of the electromagnet H in the box 33, and t'reeing the push rod therein so that at the proper time the watchman may push the rod and cause the making of a record from box 33, this act also setting box as through shunt E. The record is made from box 33 because in the pushing of the push rod J in that box the circuit at e in that box is broken for the instant and hence the current which had been passing from the battery B through the recording instrument A circuit breaker cl, wire E circuit breaker e of box 23, wire E circuit breaker e of box 33, wire E circuit breaker e of box 43, and wire E and D being at the moment broken, causes the operation of the recording instrument at A It will be seen that this operation may be repeated indefinitely according to tie number of boxes in the system. Breaking the last circuit at e throws the current temporarily through E. When the watchman has gone his rounds he can do no more until the dial has rotated far enough to bring the next arm 9 into contact with the circuit breaker (Z so that the same sequence or" operations is gone through again by the watchman. The recording dial G on the clock shows by the punctures in it the times at which the watchman has made his record. Ihis rec- I 0rd he can only make by visiting the boxes in a definite order and hence no peculiar record is required for any box.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a signal box of the kind described, a push rod, an armature normally engaging and'locking said push rod, an electro-magnet located to disengage said armature from said push rod when energized, and a circuit closer normally in engagement with a contact point and located to be disengaged therefrom by the movement of said push rod and to be moved thereby into contact with a second contact point to close a second circuit, in combination with said contact points.

2. In a signal box of the kind described, a push rod, an armature normally engaging and locking said push rod, an electro-magnet located to disengage said armature from said push rod when energized, means adapted to hold said armature in disengaged position and to release said armature upon engagement with said push rod, and a circuit closer normally in engagement with a Ccpies of this patent may be obtained for contact point and located to be disengaged therefrom by the movement of said push rod and to be moved thereby into contact with a second contact point to close a second circuit, in combination with said contact points.

3. In a signaling system, in combination, a series of signal boxes, a circuit normally closed connecting said signal boxes, each box containing a push rod, an armature engaging and normally locking said push rod, and a shunt circuit containing an electromagnet adapted when energized to attract said armature to release said push rod, a contact point connected to the electro-magnet circuit in the next succeeding box, a contact point in the main circuit, and a circuit closer normally in contact with said last-named contact point and located to be engaged by said push rod and moved from contact therewith to break the main circuit and into contact with said first-named contact point to close the circuit through the electro-magnet in the next box.

4. In a signal system, in combination, a watchmans clock provided with recording means and having an automatic circuit breaker and means for operating said circuit breaker automatically and periodically, two contacts one normally engaged by said circuit breaker, and the other forming part of a shunt circuit, a series of signal boxes, a main circuit connecting said first-named contact point and said boxes in the series, an electro-magnet in said shunt circuit in th first box and connections between said electro-magnet and said second-named contact point whereby upon the operation of the circuit breaker in said clock the main circuit will be broken and the electro-magnet in said first box will be energized.

5. In a signaling device, a central station comprising a recording mechanism and a circuit breaker, and means for operating said circuitbreaker periodically, in combination with a series of signal boxes each containing a circuit breaker, means for locking said signal box circuit breaker in one position, means whereby the operation of a circuit breaker at the central station will unlock the circuit breaker in the first signal box, and means whereby the operation of the circuit breaker in each signal box will cause the operation of said recording mechanism at the central station and the unlocking of the circuit breaker at the next succeeding signal box.

FREDERICK WILLIAMS.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE G. Bnoonns, M. E. FLAHERTY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

